Children / Parent

WEEK #16 (9-4-11 to 9-10-11): Writer’s Choice: CHILDREN or PARENT

GBE 2: Blog On

It is said, “Once and adult, twice a child”.  Baby boomers have bemoaned this fact for years.  Now, as a person experiencing my second childhood, I rather enjoy this new found freedom.  I am the child of my parents, the parent to my child, and a child to my grown-up child.  I relish the idea of leaving Chris home while I am away playing with my friends.  The responsibility of the house and the cats fits squarely on her shoulders, quite nicely I might add.

Both of Bob’s daughters are parents to their own children.  Bless their pea-pickin’ hearts!  Shouldering the responsibility of raising a good person, creating a questioning mind while trying to teach them manners.  Grand parenting releases you from the responsibility of “governing” the children.  A grand parent is allowed to relive their youth through the grand children. Grand parenting is child and parent!

Grandparents are allowed to be both the child and the parent.  We teach a peripheral lesson.  We get to show our grandchildren how to have fun, while they retain the harder lessons they are learning from their parents.  We get to reinforce their egos.  Hugs and I Love You -  all around! We get to view the world again through their eyes.  And, if we are lucky, they can get those pesky “child proof” lids off for us!

There is a new commercial shown on television, it depicts an older child living at home who is befuddled by his parents lack of attention and their apparent abandonment of both him and responsibility.  I looked around at my group of friends and realized the commercial smacks of realism. 

For many of us who are “of an age” the mantle of matriarch/patriarch simply isn’t alluring.  We once looked upon our own grandparents as demi-gods.  No decision was made without the advice of  “the elders”.  I would like to know what’s happening so I can share in the joys and weep with the sorrows.  Yet, I don’t want to make the decisions my grandparents were expected to make. My generation has held those jobs, both in and out of the home, where we have made decision which could alter the future of many lives.  Responsibility is not the same as power.  Power doesn’t make the decision to change/alter/advance anything.  Power has the ability to do so, yet it is typically the puppeteer (responsibility) who makes the decision then has the marionette (power) follow through. 

Grand parenting is freedom to express oneself in the most positive form available!  Renewed optimism is continually available.  Child/Parent time of life is the most expressive, open minded, unbiased experience attained.  I am fairly certain the Dalai Lama is moderately jealous of me….